Chapter 121: Do it together
The room fell into stunned silence, his words leaving everyone—guests, media, and family speechless. The reporters were too shocked to ask their next question, momentarily frozen by his announcement and the subtle warning to be kind to Evelyn on their channels. A few quickly threw out another round of questions, but William turned around, and the bodyguards pushed the mass back to their original positions.
Even Elias couldn’t believe what he had just heard. "Ah, it’s real," he murmured, pinching his cheek just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Had the party moved his dad so much that he had decided to forget everything and start fresh with his sister? It seemed like he was trying to, and all Elias’ efforts to bring them together for the past decade finally saw some light tonight. He just hoped his mother wouldn’t try anything, and if she did, he knew how to keep her cornered until Evelyn had fully mended her bond with William.
The announcement had a huge impact on Evelyn, who simply stared at her father’s back. William turned around, and their eyes met, both brimming with the same rush of emotions that had overwhelmed her heart that tonight. He nodded, assuring her that everything would be fine before Elias rushed over and took him to the restroom. They needed to clean his expensive coat stained with eggs.
"He is hoping to start a new Chapter with you," Zevian’s words slowly pulled Evelyn out of her daze. She looked up at him to see a warm, victorious smile spread across his face, and her hand tightened around him as she fought to control her tears.
Evelyn leaned closer, and Zevian pulled her into a hug, guiding her head to rest on his chest. She didn’t care about the rest of the world at that moment, relaxing in his embrace, feeling the moment to be true, to turn into something special.
Zevian was right. William had indirectly declared his wish to mend things with her, to treat her like the daughter she had yearned to be all these years. But now that the harsh truth wasn’t hidden from her, that she had been just a replacement for his real daughter, adopted to fill that void until Annabelle appeared and claimed to be the real one, did she deserve to share a bond with him?
"Let’s finish this first," Avery broke Evelyn’s train of thought. As much as she wanted to let her best friend have her moment, the guests wouldn’t wait long and would continue gossiping. Starting Gracia’s project would be a perfect follow-up to William’s declaration, making everyone regret ever bullying Evelyn, thinking she would never amount to more than just a discarded piece of the Wright family.
Zevian nodded, but he didn’t let go of Evelyn. His hand supported her back, the other holding onto her firmly, assuring her that he was right there if she couldn’t control her emotions. He glanced at William’s table and added, "Let’s wait for his return."
"Alright," Avery agreed and made her way to her team. They quickly reviewed the presentation, making necessary adjustments that had been paused due to the earlier outburst from the protesters.